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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: rest · bulb · present · chest · bore · saw · charge · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. charge — in control
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pass — a permit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — there
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chest — a box
  24. bore — gave birth

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