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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a tool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spell — letters
  9. wind — moving air
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. season — of the year
  16. spell — magic
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mark — a grade
  20. foot — a measure
  21. file — a document
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — in sport

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