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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. object — a thing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. object — an aim
  20. ground — a position
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bark — to shout

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