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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. file — a line of people
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. file — a tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fine — all right
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. drill — army training
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. plane — a tool
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. file — a document
  24. bore — to drill

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