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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. board — a committee
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — to get on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. file — a document
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bore — to drill

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