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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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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: bay · snap · net · roll · tear · board · wake · bore

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. roll — a cake
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — after costs
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — in sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — to get on
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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