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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. present — the time now
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. content — happy
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — there
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rash — a series
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — the amount
  24. board — a committee

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