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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tube — a container
  8. rest — a break
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. charge — a price
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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