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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. file — a document
  2. lean — thin
  3. march — music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. file — a tool
  9. row — a line
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stand — to bear
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — shares
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lean — to bend
  19. row — to paddle
  20. march — the month
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  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