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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. file — a document
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bore — to tire
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lean — thin
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. row — to paddle
  23. file — a tool
  24. squash — the 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