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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · plane · cabinet · file · straw · mark · squash · jam

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. squash — to crush
  3. file — a document
  4. squash — the sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a trace
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — to drill
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mark — to pay attention

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