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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. charge — a price
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. charge — in control
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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