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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rock — music
  3. land — a country
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. track — a song
  11. land — ground
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lean — thin
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — to come down
  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