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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: charge · row · swing · mine · bore · calf · object · toast

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. swing — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. toast — bread
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — electricity
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mine — for digging
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. row — a line
  20. charge — a price
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bore — to tire

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