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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lean — to bend
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lean — thin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hand — in cards
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — help
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. board — a committee
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — to fit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hand — 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