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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. march — the month
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a song
  5. lie — to recline
  6. track — to keep track
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — to drill
  9. net — in sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — music
  12. snap — to click
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — to tire
  16. track — a path
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. net — after costs
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — a tin

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