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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kid · rock · board · mug · clip · face · bore · trunk

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mug — a face
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. face — part of the head
  5. kid — child
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rock — music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bore — to tire
  15. face — to confront
  16. clip — a video
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — to get on
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bore — gave birth

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