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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. season — of the year
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. charge — in control
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ground — crushed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — in sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. row — to paddle
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. trunk — of a tree

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