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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — hurry
  6. file — a document
  7. object — an aim
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. object — a thing
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. charge — a price
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mine — for digging
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a tool

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