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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. board — a committee
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — there
  9. craft — a skill
  10. present — a gift
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. present — the time now
  13. last — to go on
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — to tire
  16. last — finally
  17. board — to get on
  18. last — final
  19. rule — a law
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rule — government
  23. mine — for digging
  24. object — an aim

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