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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. swing — in golf
  3. hand — help
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. swing — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rest — a break
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to drill
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. file — a tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a document

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