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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: ball · bore · mug · rest · mine · plane · fan · board

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ball — a great time
  7. board — a committee
  8. rest — what's left
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — a face
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. board — to get on

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