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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. last — finally
  4. roll — a list
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. hand — help
  8. roll — a cake
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pound — a weight
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. last — final
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. last — to go on
  24. bore — to tire

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