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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spring — the season
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hand — in cards
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rule — a law
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rule — government
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — a country
  16. charge — a price
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. spring — of water
  20. charge — in control
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. land — to come down
  24. hand — help

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