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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. charge — in control
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mate — to breed
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pound — a weight
  24. jam — a tight spot

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