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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — all right
  3. fall — the season
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. snap — to click
  7. file — a document
  8. fall — to drop
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — a break
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. file — a tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bore — to drill
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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