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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. charge — a price
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pass — a permit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. charge — in control
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. last — finally
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitch — completely
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. charge — electricity

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