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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. kick — in football
  3. bore — to drill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. board — a committee
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bat — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bound — certain
  17. drill — army training
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. board — to get on

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