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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chest — a box
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. clip — a video
  12. root — of a plant
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bore — to tire
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — a price
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — of a word

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