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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. track — a song
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to drill
  6. object — an aim
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — a price
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. object — to protest
  13. charge — in control
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. track — to keep track
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — a path
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — a thing
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — a supporter

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