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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: date · bore · clip · charge · firm · mine · bark · plane

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — to cut
  10. firm — decided
  11. mine — for digging
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. charge — a price
  24. mine — an explosive

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