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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: wave · rest · track · nail · file · bore · club · ruler

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rest — a break
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. file — a line of people
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. track — a path
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rest — what's left
  21. file — a document
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. club — for dancing

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