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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: hand · file · deal · date · rash · pit · straw · bore

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bore — to drill
  3. file — a document
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bore — to tire
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. rash — a series
  15. file — a tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. straw — dry grass

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