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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 · bore · scale · charge · chip · pop · lie · fall

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fall — the season
  4. bore — to drill
  5. scale — in music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. present — the time now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — a gift
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. charge — a price

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