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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — the amount
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. staff — employees
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — in control
  21. content — happy
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. staff — a stick

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