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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. mate — to breed
  3. drill — the tool
  4. land — a country
  5. drill — army training
  6. charge — in control
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rule — a law
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pit — in a race
  17. charge — a price
  18. rule — government
  19. drill — a practice
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  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