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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — a container
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — for catching
  17. mate — to breed
  18. net — in sport
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bore — to drill
  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