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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. file — a line of people
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. file — a document
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — to tire
  8. firm — a company
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. file — a tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bore — to drill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — steady

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