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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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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. file — a line of people
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tube — a container
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. file — a tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — a straw man

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