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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. squash — to crush
  4. dip — to sink
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chest — of your body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. charge — in control
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mug — to rob
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. squash — the vegetable

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