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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bore — to tire
  3. firm — steady
  4. file — a tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — child
  7. spell — letters
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spell — a short time
  13. firm — a company
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spell — magic
  16. board — to get on
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. file — a document
  19. firm — decided
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. board — a committee
  22. foot — a measure
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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