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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. file — a line of people
  3. dip — to sink
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bore — to tire
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. swing — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. file — a tool
  15. stock — goods
  16. file — a document
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fall — the season

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