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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: bound · board · rest · craft · stick · pit · shower · bear

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. pit — in a race
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — to get on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — certain
  17. craft — boats
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rest — a break
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — to put up with

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