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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. land — ground
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. land — to come down
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — to recline
  8. charge — in control
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — in football
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rock — music

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