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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: chair · content · bore · board · rash · lean · bound · firm

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. board — to get on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bound — certain
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. board — a committee
  9. firm — decided
  10. lean — thin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chair — a leader
  14. content — the amount
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rash — a series
  19. bound — obliged
  20. content — happy
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rash — hasty
  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