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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
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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: ruler · present · last · mine · charge · cabinet · chest · land

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. charge — in control
  4. last — to go on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — a box
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — ground
  14. present — a gift
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. present — there
  22. chest — of your body
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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