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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: track · bore · file · tube · mate · vault · kick · kid

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. track — a song
  3. file — a line of people
  4. track — a path
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. file — a document
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mate — a friend
  19. file — a tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bore — to drill
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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