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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — the sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rule — government
  8. staff — a stick
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — in control
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. charge — a price
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — of a word
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. root — of a plant

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