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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
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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: bore · bay · pop · mate · hide · ruler · leaves · file

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. file — a tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. file — a line of people
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. file — a document
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. leaves — of a tree

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