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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: fine · object · deal · stick · board · bore · hide · foot

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. board — a committee
  3. object — to protest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — to get on
  8. fine — high quality
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — a thing
  12. bore — to drill
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fine — all right
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. object — an aim
  23. hide — animal skin
  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