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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: charge · march · temple · bark · bore · key · spell · chest

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. charge — a price
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — electricity
  6. march — music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. march — the month
  13. key — in music
  14. spell — letters
  15. charge — in control
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. chest — a box
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bore — to tire
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — magic
  24. temple — side of the head

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