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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · wave · bore · board · scale · fine

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — a committee
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. drill — army training
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fine — high quality
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. board — to get on
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fine — all right
  14. drill — a practice
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — to drill

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