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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: bore · tube · toast · stand · file · drill · row · mark

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. drill — a practice
  4. file — a tool
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mark — a trace
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stand — to bear
  10. toast — bread
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. file — a document
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. row — to paddle
  19. drill — army training
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mark — a grade

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