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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. file — a document
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bore — to drill
  11. face — to confront
  12. band — a music group
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. file — a tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. prune — to trim
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. file — a line of people
  24. prune — to trim

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