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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — of ice
  8. snap — to click
  9. cap — a lid
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ground — crushed
  12. present — the time now
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. ground — a position
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. present — there
  23. cap — a hat
  24. present — a gift

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