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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: file · toast · foot · drill · date · leaves · nail · perch

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. toast — bread
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a line of people
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. date — the fruit
  12. file — a tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. foot — a measure
  24. drill — army training

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