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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bore — to drill
  3. track — a path
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. track — a song
  7. cold — an illness
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. charge — a price
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rest — a break
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — in control
  24. cold — not warm

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