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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. charge — in control
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. file — a tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. charge — a price
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to drill
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — for light
  16. last — final
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to tire
  21. last — finally
  22. bound — certain
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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