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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. board — to get on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chest — a box
  8. rest — a break
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a line
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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