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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: rule · lash · mine · tear · bore · row · charge · calf

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. charge — a price
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rule — government
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. bore — to tire
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. charge — in control
  23. rule — a law
  24. bore — to drill

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