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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. object — a thing
  5. charge — electricity
  6. file — a tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. object — to protest
  9. charge — a price
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rash — a series
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — a match
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. file — a document
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. foot — a measure
  24. file — a line of people

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