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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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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 · bore · bound · deal · wave · mate · rest · fall

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bound — certain
  4. file — a document
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fall — the season
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. file — a tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. file — a line of people

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