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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bore — to drill
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bore — to tire
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bank — for money
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. board — a committee
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  24. wound — an injury

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