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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — to get on
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — letters
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. rule — government
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — magic
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. charge — in control
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — a short time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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