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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bore — to drill
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — clever
  5. file — a tool
  6. rock — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — a stone
  10. current — electric
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. file — a document
  19. current — happening now
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. clip — a video
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. clip — to cut

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