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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lie · scale · kid · rush · arm · bat · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. file — a tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a document
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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