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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cell — a phone
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. root — of a word
  15. kick — in football
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. board — to get on
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fine — all right
  24. rest — a break

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