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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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Word bank
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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: date · rule · lie · last · nail · charge · mine · content

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — to go on
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lie — to recline
  7. last — final
  8. rule — government
  9. mine — for digging
  10. last — finally
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — a law
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — in control
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — the fruit
  18. content — the amount
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. content — happy
  24. nail — on a finger

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