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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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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: nail · chair · kid · bore · pit · mate · suit · file

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mate — a partner
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bore — to tire
  13. file — a tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kid — child
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kid — to tease

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