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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bore — to tire
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a trace
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a document
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ruler — for measuring

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