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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — to get on
  3. file — a document
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. land — ground
  6. snap — to click
  7. charge — in control
  8. mine — for digging
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. charge — electricity
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. land — to come down
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. land — a country

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