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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. land — ground
  9. kid — child
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. staff — employees
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pass — a permit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. land — to come down
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — to succeed

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