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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. charge — in control
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. leaves — to go away

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