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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · ruler · cell · capital · charge · hand · bore · last

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. charge — in control
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cell — in biology
  6. last — finally
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. capital — a city
  11. last — to go on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bore — to tire
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — to drill
  20. last — final
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cell — a phone

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