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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: board · dip · bound · shower · leaves · bore · mouse · fall

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. shower — rain
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. shower — to wash
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. board — to get on
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bound — obliged
  13. board — a committee
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bound — certain
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fall — the season
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. dip — a sauce

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