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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fine — high quality
  10. land — to come down
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. land — a country
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bore — to tire
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rush — to hurry

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