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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — a price
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fine — high quality
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fine — all right
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — in control
  24. bore — to drill

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