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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. row — a line
  3. file — a document
  4. last — final
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. last — finally
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — for betting
  10. firm — decided
  11. bore — to drill
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bore — to tire
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chip — to eat
  16. last — to go on
  17. firm — a company
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. firm — steady
  24. file — a tool

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