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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: bore · stock · lean · mouse · nail · file · fall · kid

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stock — shares
  9. lean — to bend
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lean — thin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stock — goods
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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