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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.

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: stick · hand · bore · mug · file · foot · dip · court

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a face
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mug — a cup
  15. file — a line of people
  16. court — for sport
  17. hand — in cards
  18. file — a document
  19. court — of law
  20. mug — to rob
  21. file — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bore — gave birth

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