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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: kid · bore · charge · mug · bay · leaves · race · pop

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pop — soda
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. race — humankind
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. race — the arms race
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. race — a contest
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kid — child
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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