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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. sharp — clever
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. board — a committee
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. drill — army training
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. current — electric
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. object — a thing
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. object — to protest
  15. bore — to drill
  16. current — happening now
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. swing — in golf
  19. object — an aim
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. current — of water
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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