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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bore — to drill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. bore — to tire
  12. branch — a division
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bound — certain
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — a stone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. board — a committee
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. patient — a sick person

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