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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bore — to tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pop — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rule — government
  12. charge — a price
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cue — a hint
  16. race — humankind
  17. pop — soda
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. charge — in control
  20. pop — to visit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. file — a document
  24. race — a contest

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