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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — a match
  4. file — a tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — a series
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lie — to recline
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rest — a break
  24. chair — to sit on

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