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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · present · bore · chest · file · ball · wound · saw

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — a gift
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. board — to get on
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — there
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chest — of your body
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a tool
  24. wound — an injury

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