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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. file — a tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — in control
  11. rest — a break
  12. charge — electricity
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. file — a document
  18. rash — a series
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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