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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. file — a document
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fall — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. chip — for betting
  16. suit — clothes
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. file — a tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. file — a line of people

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