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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: wave · wound · file · bore · tube · charge · mug · object

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — a container
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. file — a tool
  7. bore — to tire
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a document
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tube — the underground
  16. file — a line of people
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. charge — a price
  24. object — to protest

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