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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a face
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. file — a line of people
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. file — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — to eat with

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