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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · chest · lash · drill · lie · bore · board · season

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — to drill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — a committee
  9. drill — army training
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — in sport
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — a box
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — to recline
  21. clip — a video
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lie — an untruth

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