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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: bore · nail · land · hide · object · ball · charge · can

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. charge — in control
  4. bore — to tire
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — a price
  9. object — an aim
  10. ball — a great time
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — ground
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to drill
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — to come down
  21. ball — a dance
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ball — a round shape

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