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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. charge — a price
  5. swing — in golf
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. charge — in control
  10. bore — to drill
  11. season — of the year
  12. suit — in cards
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bore — to tire
  16. drill — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. file — a document
  20. season — in sport
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — a trace
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mark — to pay attention

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