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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: land · bore · mine · rock · nail · wake · suit · board

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. suit — to fit
  14. board — to get on
  15. rock — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — a committee
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. land — a country
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bore — gave birth

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