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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 · tear · track · rash · bore · sharp · straw · patient

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. board — to get on
  3. track — a path
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tear — from crying
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rash — a series
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. board — a committee
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. sharp — clever
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rash — hasty
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a song
  24. bore — to drill

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