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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. last — to go on
  13. ground — crushed
  14. last — final
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. last — finally
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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