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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.

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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: mark · charge · bore · key · sharp · dip · race · leaves

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. race — the arms race
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. charge — a price
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bore — to drill
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mark — a trace
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. race — a contest
  23. key — the most important part
  24. dip — to sink

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