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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — in football
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bore — to drill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. file — a line of people
  16. charge — in control
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a document
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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