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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kid — to tease
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. board — a committee
  7. kid — child
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stand — to bear
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — of ice
  23. root — the cause
  24. stand — on your feet

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