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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. file — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tear — to rip
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ground — crushed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ground — a position
  20. tube — a container
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ground — the earth

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