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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — a series
  3. charge — a price
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. last — to go on
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. field — farmland
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — for sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. field — a subject
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. last — final
  20. can — a tin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — to be able to
  23. last — finally
  24. bore — to tire

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