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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. drill — a practice
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. board — a committee
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — to get on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — there
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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