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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. board — a committee
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. board — to get on
  5. land — ground
  6. wake — a trail
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — a country
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. land — to come down
  17. bore — to tire
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rock — a stone
  24. saw — the tool

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