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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. file — a tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. swing — music
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bore — to drill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. swing — to play on
  24. file — a document

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