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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: trunk · mark · squash · rule · pound · file · bore · wave

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rule — a law
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mark — a trace
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a document
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rule — government
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. squash — to crush

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