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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: bowl · bark · saw · cap · ruler · bore · wound · charge

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — a hat
  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