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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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 drill
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. club — a group
  11. board — to get on
  12. land — ground
  13. bore — to tire
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. file — a tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. land — a country
  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