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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cold — an illness
  3. last — finally
  4. rule — a law
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. club — for golf
  8. rule — government
  9. toast — bread
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. charge — a price
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cold — not warm
  17. last — final
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. charge — in control
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. club — a group

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