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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: shower · charge · scale · pass · trunk · race · can · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. scale — size or range
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. charge — in control
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pass — a permit
  11. race — a contest
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — the arms race
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. charge — a price
  20. bore — to tire
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. race — humankind
  24. scale — in 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