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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bound — certain
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bass — low music
  14. club — for golf
  15. board — a committee
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. board — to get on
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bass — the fish
  24. band — a ring

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