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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. shower — rain
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. shower — to wash
  8. land — ground
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. row — a line
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. land — to come down
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. charge — electricity
  15. spell — magic
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — to drill
  18. charge — a price
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bore — to tire
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. land — a country

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