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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. file — a tool
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. file — a document
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mate — to breed
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — a friend
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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