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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rash — a series
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. shower — rain
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bore — to tire
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rash — hasty
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bound — certain
  16. mate — a friend
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. face — to point toward
  20. season — in sport
  21. face — part of the head
  22. file — a line of people
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — of the year

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