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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: file · bulb · bore · mate · charge · hand · cap · trunk

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mate — to breed
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a friend
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hand — help
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — in control
  21. file — a tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bore — to drill

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