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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pitch — completely
  3. last — finally
  4. board — a committee
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bore — to drill
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. last — to go on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. snap — to click
  19. mine — for digging
  20. board — to get on
  21. last — final
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. foot — a measure

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