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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. file — a document
  4. bore — to drill
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — to come down
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — a country
  11. capital — a city
  12. bore — to tire
  13. spell — a short time
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. march — music
  18. file — a line of people
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. file — a tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. land — ground

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