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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fine — all right
  3. present — a gift
  4. board — a committee
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — there
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mine — for digging
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to tire
  13. board — to get on
  14. firm — a company
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. firm — steady
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — the time now

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