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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 124 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. shower — rain
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. board — a committee
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bore — to drill
  11. swing — music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wound — an injury
  14. content — the amount
  15. board — to get on
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — in golf
  20. content — happy
  21. swing — to play on
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  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