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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — steady
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — to get on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — a committee
  18. firm — a company
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bore — to drill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — decided

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