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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 124 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: wave · march · stock · kick · bore · cabinet · board · spell

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spell — letters
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. march — the month
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. spell — a short time
  11. march — music
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — the month
  20. board — to get on
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — a committee

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