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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: deal · march · fall · bore · stick · trunk · hand · charge

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bore — to drill
  5. march — music
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fall — the season
  12. hand — in cards
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — to tire
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — to drop

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