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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 116 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. tear — to rip
  4. charge — in control
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bore — to tire
  7. track — a path
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. tear — from crying
  13. face — to point toward
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bore — to drill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to confront

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