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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. court — of a king
  8. board — a committee
  9. court — for sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. board — to get on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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