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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — to rob
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rest — a break
  15. file — a tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. file — a line of people
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spell — magic
  21. file — a document
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spell — letters
  24. bore — to drill

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