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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — electricity
  11. file — a tool
  12. march — music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. root — of a word
  15. file — a document
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — a price
  20. file — a line of people
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — the month

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