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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: board · swing · bore · mark · lie · cap · shower · key

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. board — a committee
  7. bore — to tire
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mark — a trace
  11. shower — rain
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lie — to recline
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. board — to get on

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