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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — a trace
  8. land — to come down
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bore — to tire
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mark — a grade
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. land — a country

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