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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. board — to get on
  5. bore — to tire
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — a line
  12. bound — certain
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — a committee
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bore — to drill
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — part of the body

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