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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: pop · track · cabinet · spring · bay · bore · charge · tear

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pop — soda
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spring — the season
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tear — to rip
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — a song
  20. charge — a price
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pop — music
  24. charge — in control

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