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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: stand · charge · drill · sharp · trunk · swing · bore · object

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — electricity
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. charge — in control
  6. bore — to tire
  7. swing — to play on
  8. drill — army training
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. swing — music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bore — to drill
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. object — an aim
  17. charge — a price
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. object — a thing
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. object — to protest
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stand — on your feet

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