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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. club — a group
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bore — to drill
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bore — to tire
  10. tear — to rip
  11. club — for golf
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. file — a tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. club — for dancing

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