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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bore — to drill
  4. charge — a price
  5. suit — clothes
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. track — to keep track
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bore — to tire
  12. clip — a video
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — hurry
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. track — a song
  24. charge — in control

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