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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: tear · press · hide · bore · lash · pit · pop · board

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. board — to get on
  3. pop — music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. press — to push
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. board — a committee

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