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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. bore — to tire
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. press — newspapers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — the fish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — a price
  18. press — to push
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to drill

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