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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: bulb · file · rock · leaves · object · wind · bore · pitcher

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. object — to protest
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. file — a document
  12. object — an aim
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. object — a thing
  21. rock — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — lets stay

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