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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. object — an aim
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. track — a song
  6. land — a country
  7. object — to protest
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — a path
  13. charge — in control
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. charge — a price
  18. land — ground
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. object — a thing
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pass — a permit

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