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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mate — a friend
  6. can — to be able to
  7. land — ground
  8. mate — to breed
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. staff — a stick
  13. file — a tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — a law
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. arm — 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