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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · rule · suit · snap · straw · chair · charge · bay

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. rule — government
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. land — ground
  10. chair — a leader
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rule — a law
  13. snap — to click
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — a price
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. charge — in control
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. land — to come down
  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