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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: fall · content · bore · file · pitcher · root · wake · rush

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. file — a tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fall — the season
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to drill

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