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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. file — a tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — to drop
  5. game — a match
  6. file — a document
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. face — to confront
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fall — the season
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — to drill
  18. file — a line of people
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ground — a position
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ground — crushed

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