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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — help
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — in cards
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a document
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. band — a music group
  21. file — a tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bear — to put up with

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