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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · hide · bore · board · mine · press · rule · spell

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rule — government
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. spell — letters
  17. press — a publisher
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. board — a committee
  21. rule — a law
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. press — to push
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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