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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mate — to breed
  3. charge — a price
  4. pop — soda
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pop — music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bore — to drill
  24. charge — in control

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