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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · ruler · deal · wave · mine · charge · last · pitcher

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — to handle
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — in control
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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