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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. march — music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bore — to drill
  15. march — the month
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. march — the month
  24. rule — a law

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