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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — a city
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. perch — the fish
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bore — to drill
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. shower — rain
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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