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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
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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: file · fork · temple · leaves · firm · last · mine · bore

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. file — a document
  6. firm — a company
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — for digging
  13. last — finally
  14. fork — in a road
  15. last — final
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bore — to tire
  19. firm — steady
  20. last — to go on
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bore — to drill

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