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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 120 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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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: deal · charge · wave · bore · tear · swing · snap · mine

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. swing — to play on
  4. tear — from crying
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mine — for digging
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. swing — music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. charge — a price
  24. snap — to click

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