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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.

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: bass · file · bore · charge · chair · bear · press · saw

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. file — a tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. charge — in control
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the fish
  12. charge — a price
  13. file — a document
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. press — to push
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — a leader

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