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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — a song
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. capital — money
  10. charge — a price
  11. capital — a city
  12. bore — to drill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bore — to tire
  17. track — a path
  18. deal — to handle
  19. plane — a tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. charge — electricity
  24. plane — an aircraft

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