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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: rash · pit · arm · object · bore · file · cold · leaves

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rash — hasty
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. object — to protest
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. object — a thing
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rash — a series
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — an aim
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cold — not warm
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pit — a hole
  24. file — a tool

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