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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: hide · bound · bore · craft · file · march · row · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a document
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — boats
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bound — certain
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. march — the month

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