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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — to rob
  4. roll — a list
  5. land — a country
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — to come down
  10. wake — a trail
  11. charge — a price
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mug — a face
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. roll — a cake
  20. charge — in control
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. land — ground
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stand — for spectators

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