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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. file — a document
  3. firm — a company
  4. game — a match
  5. bore — to drill
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — decided
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — wild animals
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bore — gave birth

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