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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. file — a document
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. file — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bore — to drill
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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