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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: ball · shower · drill · file · bore · band · charge · toast

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. drill — army training
  6. ball — a dance
  7. file — a line of people
  8. charge — a price
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — in control
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. band — a music group
  15. file — a document
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. file — a tool
  19. drill — the tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. charge — electricity
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — to drill
  24. toast — bread

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