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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: mine · object · foot · nail · bore · bowl · file · pass

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pass — a permit
  7. object — to protest
  8. file — a tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mine — for digging
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. file — a document
  24. bowl — a dish

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