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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a ring
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. craft — boats
  8. band — a music group
  9. file — a document
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bore — to drill
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a skill
  15. charge — in control
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. file — a tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bore — to tire
  23. shower — rain
  24. file — a line of people

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