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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 116 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
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 · fork · mine · fine · content · drill · fall · bore

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — a price
  4. content — happy
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. charge — in control
  7. fall — the season
  8. fine — high quality
  9. drill — army training
  10. bore — to tire
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — in a road

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