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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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Word bank
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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: bear · bore · shower · board · key · cabinet · temple · net

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. net — after costs
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. board — a committee
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. shower — to wash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. net — in sport
  12. bore — to tire
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. net — for catching
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. key — in music
  22. bore — to drill
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — a flat piece

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