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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a committee
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. band — a music group
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. can — to be able to
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a ring
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to confront

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