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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — to drill
  9. board — to get on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — electric
  12. stem — to come from
  13. file — a line of people
  14. current — happening now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a document
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bound — obliged
  23. board — a committee
  24. current — of water

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