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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 120 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: kick · can · rock · track · board · sharp · bore · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. track — to keep track
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — music
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. bore — to tire
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. sharp — clever

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