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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: bore · stand · fall · file · chip · mark · face · band

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. file — a document
  5. band — a music group
  6. fall — the season
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. band — a ring
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chip — to eat
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. face — to confront
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stand — for spectators
  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