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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: chip · kid · rock · bulb · bore · kick · mate · charge

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rock — a stone
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rock — music
  7. charge — a price
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. kid — child
  13. bore — to drill
  14. kick — in football
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. mate — to breed

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