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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ground — a position
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. band — a music group
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a ring
  17. ground — the earth
  18. file — a document
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. leaves — of a tree

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