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

Word bank: dip · wind · file · fall · pound · suit · arm · bore

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to drill
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fall — the season
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pound — a weight
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — to tire
  17. file — a document
  18. suit — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fall — to drop

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