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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bound — obliged
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — in football
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. season — of the year
  17. clip — a video
  18. bore — to tire
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. clip — to cut
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bound — certain

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