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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. drill — a practice
  3. object — to protest
  4. last — final
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. land — a country
  7. cue — a signal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — army training
  10. cap — a lid
  11. last — finally
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — a hat
  14. last — to go on
  15. cue — a hint
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — of ice
  18. object — an aim
  19. charge — a price
  20. drill — the tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cue — for pool
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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