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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — the animal
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. charge — in control
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. land — ground
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — electricity
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rest — a break
  23. charge — a price
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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