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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — a committee
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — to get on
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. face — to confront
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lash — to lash out

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