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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. charge — electricity
  3. tear — from crying
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chest — a box
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chest — of your body
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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