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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a music group
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — a trail
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. capital — a city
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — money
  22. charge — in control
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. capital — a big letter

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