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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 124 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. spell — magic
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — a law
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spell — a short time
  7. club — a group
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — for golf
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — government
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. charge — a price
  16. snap — to click
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — letters
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — in control
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. club — for dancing
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. charge — electricity

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