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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · board · deal · kid · sharp · bore · bay · rush

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kid — child
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bore — to tire

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