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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: charge · shower · face · arm · bore · rule · track · drill

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — rain
  8. rule — government
  9. track — to keep track
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bore — to tire
  15. charge — in control
  16. shower — to wash
  17. drill — the tool
  18. track — a song
  19. drill — army training
  20. bore — to drill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. charge — a price
  24. rule — a law

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