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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. drill — army training
  6. last — final
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. drill — a practice
  13. last — to go on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — finally
  21. board — to get on
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. foot — a measure

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