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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a friend
  3. charge — in control
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — a trail
  6. charge — a price
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mate — a partner
  14. chest — a box
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — government
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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