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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — a price
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bound — certain
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. current — happening now
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. current — of water
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — obliged

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