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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. land — a country
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — a short time
  7. land — to come down
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — a price
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — the season
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — ground
  14. spell — letters
  15. firm — a company
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — a break
  18. firm — decided
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cell — a phone
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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