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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. land — to come down
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tear — to rip
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. land — ground
  16. bore — to tire
  17. land — a country
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. file — a line of people
  22. row — to paddle
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mouse — the animal

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