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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a committee
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ball — a great time
  6. roll — a cake
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bore — to tire
  9. clip — a video
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. clip — to cut
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. board — to get on
  21. scale — size or range
  22. roll — a list
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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