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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: charge · bat · object · tube · coach · deal · rest · bore

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. object — to protest
  5. charge — in control
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — electricity
  8. object — a thing
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — an aim
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. charge — a price
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bore — to drill

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