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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: key · bulb · plane · kid · fall · charge · row · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — to drill
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — a price
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — a tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. charge — electricity
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fall — the season
  16. charge — in control
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. key — in music
  20. kid — child
  21. row — a line
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — in geometry

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