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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: firm · date · board · file · tear · trunk · cue · bore

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tear — to rip
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a committee
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. file — a tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. firm — a company
  19. board — to get on
  20. file — a document
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. trunk — of a car

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