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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bank — for money
  7. land — to come down
  8. bank — for money
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — ground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. land — a country
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — a price
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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