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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. race — humankind
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — a price
  6. last — to go on
  7. race — a contest
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to tire
  10. race — the arms race
  11. last — finally
  12. club — a group
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — for dancing
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. club — for golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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