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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rule — government
  4. land — a country
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — in control
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — to come down
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — ground
  17. rule — a law
  18. charge — a price
  19. mug — to rob
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. snap — to click
  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