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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · hand · pop · mouse · bore · toast · file · mark

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a grade
  6. file — a line of people
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. file — a document
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pop — soda

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