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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. board — a committee
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — to drill
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. craft — boats
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — before a funeral

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