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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — to get on
  4. drill — a practice
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bound — tied together
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bound — certain
  18. drill — army training
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — a flat piece
  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