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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: wound · stick · board · mouse · bore · file · straw · firm

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a line of people
  6. firm — decided
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. bore — to drill
  11. firm — steady
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a document
  19. wound — an injury
  20. board — a committee
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. file — a tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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