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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: present · charge · lean · race · file · bore · dip · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. race — a contest
  3. present — a gift
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. present — the time now
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. present — there
  11. charge — a price
  12. dip — to sink
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — in control
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. race — the arms race
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — thin
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lean — to bend
  23. race — humankind
  24. file — a tool

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