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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 124 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. charge — a price
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wake — a trail
  18. charge — in control
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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