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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. charge — in control
  4. pop — soda
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — a price
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. pop — music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — a country
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bank — of a river
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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