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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bore — to tire
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — a committee
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. track — a path
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rest — a break
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. snap — to click
  24. rest — what's left

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