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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. charge — a price
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kick — in football
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — to recline
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. capital — money
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. drill — army training
  20. capital — a city
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. charge — in control
  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