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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. plane — a tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. race — humankind
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. race — a contest
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. net — for catching
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. board — a committee
  20. content — the amount
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. content — happy

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