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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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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: charge · perch · bore · tear · lean · arm · kick · toast

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bore — to tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. charge — in control
  9. lean — thin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to bend
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. kick — in football
  23. tear — to rip
  24. toast — bread

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