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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — to visit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. game — a match
  11. file — a document
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bore — to drill
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pop — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pop — soda
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bore — to tire

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