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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. hand — in cards
  3. board — a committee
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fine — all right
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. file — a document
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hand — help
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — to get on
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fine — a penalty

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