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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 · bore · present · can · file · pound · lean · nail

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. present — a gift
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — to drill
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bore — to tire
  12. file — a document
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lean — thin
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. file — a line of people
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. nail — on a finger

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