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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: bore · bay · charge · kick · cell · stick

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kick — in football
  3. charge — in control
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — a phone

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