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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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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: straw · bore · bulb · ground · rock · leaves · file · shower

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ground — a position
  4. bore — to tire
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — the earth
  7. file — a line of people
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a tool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. shower — rain
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. file — a document
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rock — music
  24. ground — crushed

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