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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 116 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: mate · swing · kick · bore · file · hand · bay · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kick — in football
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. file — a line of people
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. file — a tool
  14. hand — help
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. file — a document
  20. swing — music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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