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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — to drill
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. land — to come down
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — in control
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. land — ground
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. land — a country
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rush — hurry

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