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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a line
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bore — to drill
  9. row — to paddle
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pop — music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — shares
  16. pop — soda
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to tire
  23. plane — a tool
  24. file — a tool

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