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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. charge — in control
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kid — child
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. board — to get on
  16. last — finally
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bore — to tire

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