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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fine — all right
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. file — a document
  6. suit — in cards
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fine — high quality
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. row — to paddle
  14. file — a tool
  15. kid — to tease
  16. face — to point toward
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bore — to drill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. row — a line
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. face — to confront
  24. kid — child

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