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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · staff · cap · present · bass · arm · bore · lean

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — in control
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — the time now
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. charge — a price
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bore — to tire
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lean — to bend
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cap — a lid

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