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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: bore · rule · mine · staff · wave · land · track · charge

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. land — to come down
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — a price
  7. land — a country
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. charge — in control
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bore — to tire
  14. track — a path
  15. rule — government
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bore — to drill
  18. land — ground
  19. charge — electricity
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — a song
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rule — a law
  24. bore — gave birth

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