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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: bore · bank · charge · content · fork · wave · wound · trunk

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — for money
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — in control
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — electricity
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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