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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. board — a committee
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rest — a break
  9. ground — a position
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a ring
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ground — the earth
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a face
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — gave birth

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