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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. toast — bread
  7. swing — in golf
  8. squash — to crush
  9. board — to get on
  10. lean — to bend
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. squash — the sport
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. swing — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. file — a line of people
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — to play on

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