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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. last — finally
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. charge — electricity
  10. plane — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. land — a country
  18. bound — certain
  19. charge — a price
  20. land — ground
  21. last — to go on
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. land — to come down
  24. last — final

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