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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 124 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a document
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wake — a trail
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a line of people

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