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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. last — final
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. charge — a price
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. charge — in control
  10. bore — to drill
  11. key — in music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. last — finally
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — to go on
  23. current — electric
  24. cabinet — ministers

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