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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. file — a document
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — the time now
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pop — to visit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bore — to drill
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. bass — low music
  19. cold — an illness
  20. band — a ring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. present — a gift
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bore — to tire

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