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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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 — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rule — government
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mug — a face
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — in music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tear — to rip
  16. key — the most important part
  17. land — a country
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rule — a law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. charge — a price
  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