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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 · mug · bore · object · sharp · fall · drill · rash

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — a practice
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. drill — army training
  7. object — an aim
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rash — a series
  12. fall — the season
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. drill — the tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rash — hasty
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — in control
  23. mug — a face
  24. charge — electricity

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