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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 120 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 · board · drill · temple · bore · bound · mark · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — to drill
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. drill — army training
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mark — a grade
  14. board — to get on
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — to tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bound — obliged
  21. charge — a price
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bound — certain

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