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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 · wound · bore · leaves · fan · rush · sharp · board

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — clever
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. board — to get on
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. board — a committee
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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