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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chest — a box
  4. mark — a grade
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. object — to protest
  10. chest — of your body
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. board — to get on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mark — a trace
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — to tire

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