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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: file · mouse · trunk · lean · hand · bore · race · pit

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pit — a hole
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — help
  10. race — humankind
  11. file — a line of people
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — thin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. file — a tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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