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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: pit · bore · file · bulb · charge · wind · safe · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bore — to drill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. file — a document
  13. kick — in football
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pit — in a race
  17. file — a tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pit — a hole
  20. charge — in control
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. safe — out of danger

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