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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mark — a trace
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bore — to tire
  8. face — to confront
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bore — to drill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. field — a subject
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. file — a tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. field — farmland
  21. mark — a grade
  22. field — for sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. row — a line

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