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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: bore · temple · arm · rule · bank · ground · charge · spell

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. charge — electricity
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. spell — a short time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — a position
  9. bank — for money
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. charge — in control
  15. rule — a law
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spell — magic
  19. charge — a price
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — letters
  24. temple — a place of worship

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