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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. land — to come down
  4. tear — from crying
  5. land — ground
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — in control
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. scale — in music
  14. tear — to rip
  15. current — electric
  16. bore — to drill
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — a country
  23. charge — a price
  24. deal — to handle

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