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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. board — to get on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — a committee
  6. last — final
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a great time
  9. last — finally
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — to go on
  14. pop — soda
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. snap — to click
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pop — music

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