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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: deal · wake · rush · ground · bore · wound · charge · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a lid
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — a position

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