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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 116 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: pitcher · last · charge · sharp · tube · mate · bore · straw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — in control
  3. tube — a container
  4. mate — a partner
  5. charge — a price
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mate — a friend
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — final
  23. bore — to drill
  24. sharp — exactly

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