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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: rush · spell · bore · charge · wound · track · bulb · chair

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. charge — a price
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — hurry
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — a song
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spell — letters
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — for light

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