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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: bore · rest · suit · march · hand · bear · shower · charge

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. charge — electricity
  5. shower — rain
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. march — music
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — help
  16. charge — a price
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bore — to drill
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — in control
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — to tire

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