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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 · leaves · mine · bore · stock · fine · saw · shower

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. charge — electricity
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — rain
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. stock — goods
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — shares
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. charge — a price

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