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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: wind · bore · present · suit · calf · charge · chair · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — a gift
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — in control
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bore — to drill
  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