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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bank — of a river
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — a price
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — the season
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — to tire
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bank — for money
  22. charge — in control
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. saw — the tool

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