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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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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: mark · rule · season · wind · charge · stand · bore · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. race — humankind
  2. bore — to tire
  3. charge — a price
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rule — a law
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rule — government
  9. race — the arms race
  10. season — of the year
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. race — a contest
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — in sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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