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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · charge · field · fan · hide · drill · bore · toast

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. drill — a practice
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. toast — bread
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — a price
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — a container
  24. charge — electricity

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