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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. club — a group
  5. pop — to visit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. band — a music group
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pop — music
  16. charge — in control
  17. shower — rain
  18. band — a ring
  19. club — for golf
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — soda
  22. bat — the animal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bore — to tire

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