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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: file · toast · bay · leaves · hand · race · bore · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bore — to tire
  3. file — a document
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. race — a contest
  9. toast — bread
  10. file — a tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bore — to drill
  18. race — humankind
  19. hand — in cards
  20. file — a line of people
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. race — the arms race

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