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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: bay · present · row · temple · file · tube · bore · capital

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. capital — money
  5. present — there
  6. file — a document
  7. row — a line
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. capital — a city
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. present — the time now
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. file — a tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — in a 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