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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. charge — in control
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — ground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. land — a country
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — in biology
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rock — music
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — a stone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hand — help
  23. cell — a phone
  24. charge — a price

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