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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: stand · ball · bore · kid · file · wound · bound · bay

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. file — a document
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. file — a tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bound — tied together
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bound — obliged
  16. kid — child
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — certain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. kid — to tease
  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