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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. can — a tin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. root — the cause
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — low music
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — to tire
  13. board — to get on
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. board — a committee
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — a weight
  24. can — a tin

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