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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. board — a committee
  5. last — finally
  6. lean — to bend
  7. last — to go on
  8. row — a line
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — final
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bore — to drill
  20. board — to get on
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bat — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. bore — gave birth

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