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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. shower — rain
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. court — for sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bat — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. present — a gift
  14. bore — to tire
  15. file — a tool
  16. bore — to drill
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. court — of law
  21. kick — in football
  22. shower — to wash
  23. court — of a king
  24. bore — gave birth

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