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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: fine · bay · board · rock · bore · track · bound · wind

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. track — a song
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — a stone
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. board — a committee
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bound — certain
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fine — all right
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — to get on
  24. track — a path

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