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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · charge · tear · press · straw · bore

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. content — happy
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — to drill
  9. content — the amount
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. bore — to tire
  13. press — a publisher
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. tear — from crying

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