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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rest — a break
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — in a road
  24. charge — in control

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