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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bass — the fish
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — low music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. club — a group
  10. march — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bore — to drill
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — to get on
  17. bore — to tire
  18. shower — to wash
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — to recline
  21. club — for dancing
  22. march — the month
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. march — the month

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