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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 120 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: field · file · mug · mate · track · chest · bore · nail

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mug — a cup
  4. field — farmland
  5. file — a document
  6. mate — a partner
  7. field — a subject
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. file — a line of people
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a path
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — a friend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. track — a song
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. field — for sport
  24. bore — to tire

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