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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: charge · ruler · saw · land · lean · root · mine · tube

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. tube — a container
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — a price
  9. lean — thin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — of a plant
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lean — to bend

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