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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 120 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. bore — to tire
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chip — to eat
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kid — child
  16. suit — clothes
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. suit — to fit
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — to drill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a tool

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