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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · bay · can · wake · bore · rest · file · hand

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — help
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bore — to tire
  5. file — a document
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. can — a tin
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — to be able to
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. degree — an amount
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rest — a break
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. degree — from a university
  23. file — a tool
  24. wake — a trail

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