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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · bore · board · pass · fan · mine · foot · drill

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — a committee
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — to get on
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pass — a permit

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