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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: bore · date · cabinet · board · drill · saw · content · wake

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bore — to drill
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — the fruit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. board — to get on
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — to tire
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — a committee
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. content — happy
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. saw — the tool

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