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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. land — ground
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. land — to come down
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. charge — a price
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mine — for digging
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com