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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: mine · bore · bulb · arm · sharp · pop · board · rest

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bore — to tire
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rest — what's left
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — music
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — to drill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pop — soda
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mine — an explosive

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