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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — a break
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bore — to drill
  12. band — a music group
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rule — government
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — a group
  19. band — a ring
  20. rule — a law
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bass — low music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — the fish

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