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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bound — certain
  3. mine — for digging
  4. board — a committee
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bore — to drill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rash — hasty
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bound — obliged
  24. perch — the fish

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