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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: bulb · scale · charge · kid · bore · tear · lean · trunk

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lean — thin
  11. kid — child
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tear — to rip
  18. scale — size or range
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tear — from crying
  24. charge — in control

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