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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: deal · bulb · bore · last · rush · roll · board · leaves

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. roll — a list
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. last — final
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — to go on
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. last — finally
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a flat piece

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