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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spell — letters
  4. face — part of the head
  5. charge — a price
  6. bore — to tire
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — a short time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cue — for pool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. face — to confront
  15. charge — in control
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spell — magic

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