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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spell — a short time
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. charge — a price
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — in sport
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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