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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 120 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: track · fine · charge · current · bark · hide · bore · drill

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — a price
  4. track — a song
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — army training
  9. current — happening now
  10. track — a path
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fine — all right
  14. bark — to shout
  15. drill — a practice
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. charge — in control
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bore — to tire
  23. charge — electricity
  24. drill — the tool

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