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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tear · charge · hide · rush · bore · swing · cabinet · court

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. court — for sport
  3. swing — to play on
  4. charge — in control
  5. bore — to tire
  6. court — of law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — to drill
  22. court — of a king
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. swing — music

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