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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 116 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: bore · lean · row · board · trunk · nail · cap · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. board — to get on
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. row — a line
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — to drill
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — thin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — a committee
  24. nail — on a finger

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