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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. board — to get on
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. last — to go on
  7. board — a committee
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bore — to drill
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — finally
  15. bore — to tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. drill — army training
  22. last — final
  23. drill — a practice
  24. key — for a lock

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