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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 116 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: wind · craft · mug · file · fine · pit · rule · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mug — a face
  4. file — a tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. rule — government
  7. file — a document
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. file — a line of people
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fine — all right
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rule — a law
  24. pit — a hole

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