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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — hurry
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. last — finally
  9. land — ground
  10. charge — electricity
  11. last — final
  12. mug — a cup
  13. last — to go on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mug — a face
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — in control
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. charge — a price
  24. arm — a part of something

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