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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. club — a group
  3. race — a contest
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. race — humankind
  7. shower — rain
  8. bark — to shout
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. board — to get on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. snap — to click
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. board — a committee

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