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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. charge — a price
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — completely
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. charge — in control
  11. bore — to tire
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. object — to protest
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. object — an aim
  21. bore — to drill
  22. charge — electricity
  23. can — to be able to
  24. object — a thing

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