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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · board · kick · bore · file · mark · charge · band

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. file — a line of people
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. board — a committee
  14. bore — to drill
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mark — a grade
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. board — to get on
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a document

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