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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: face · chest · tube · foot · charge · stock · bore · file

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. tube — a container
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — a price
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — part of the head
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — the underground
  12. charge — in control
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stock — shares
  16. foot — a measure
  17. face — to point toward
  18. file — a line of people
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. face — to confront
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. foot — part of the body
  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