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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mark — a grade
  4. charge — a price
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rest — a break
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bore — to tire
  13. staff — employees
  14. fine — all right
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spell — magic
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — letters
  24. fine — high quality

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