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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · fine · file · straw · bore · tear · mug · saw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a document
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mug — a cup
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bore — to drill
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. charge — a price
  14. mug — to rob
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mug — a face
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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