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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a document
  3. bore — to drill
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. press — newspapers
  7. club — a group
  8. swing — to play on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. file — a line of people
  13. club — for golf
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. swing — music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. row — to paddle
  19. file — a tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. club — for dancing
  22. swing — in golf
  23. press — to push
  24. nail — for a hammer

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