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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: cabinet · staff · file · foot · rest · bore · bear · prune

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rest — what's left
  5. file — a document
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rest — a break
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — a stick
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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