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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. charge — a price
  4. bore — to drill
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. last — final
  15. bore — to tire
  16. band — a ring
  17. last — to go on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — in control
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a rubber band

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