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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: snap · net · board · bore · stock · drill · rush · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to click
  4. bore — to tire
  5. drill — a practice
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rush — hurry
  8. net — for catching
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. board — to get on
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. rest — a break
  17. board — a committee
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — army training
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — after costs
  24. board — a flat piece

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