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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 120 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: mug · rush · lean · bass · charge · bore · cell · arm

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mug — a cup
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — a face
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the fish

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