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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a document
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — money
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lie — to recline
  18. capital — a city
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fall — the season
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. capital — a big letter

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