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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: sharp · dip · land · hide · wake · bore · charge · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. land — ground
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wake — a trail
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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