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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. board — to get on
  3. land — a country
  4. bound — certain
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. file — a document
  9. land — to come down
  10. charge — in control
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. file — a tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spell — letters
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — a price
  21. bound — tied together
  22. land — ground
  23. spell — magic
  24. wave — with your hand

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