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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: land · board · calf · wake · dip · bore · pass · net

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — ground
  5. net — after costs
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. net — for catching
  12. pass — a permit
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. wake — a trail
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. net — in sport

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