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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · rest · fork · staff · key · rule · land · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rest — a break
  4. spell — magic
  5. key — the most important part
  6. charge — a price
  7. rule — a law
  8. key — in music
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spell — letters
  12. land — a country
  13. spell — a short time
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — to come down
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rest — what's left

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