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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: bore · snap · bat · foot · rule · hide · firm · board

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. snap — to click
  4. bore — to drill
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — to get on
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. firm — steady
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. firm — a company
  23. bat — for baseball
  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