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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: ball · lie · band · board · hide · spring · bear · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — a committee
  7. band — a music group
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — of water
  23. band — a ring
  24. ball — a great time

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