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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lean — to bend
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. land — a country
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — thin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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