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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ground — a position
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — moving air
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. band — a music group
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. band — a ring
  17. board — a committee
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. board — to get on
  24. ground — crushed

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