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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bore — to tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — a price
  8. club — for golf
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. charge — in control
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. can — to be able to
  20. club — for dancing
  21. face — to confront
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. leaves — to go away

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