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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.

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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: bark · row · saw · cabinet · chest · board · rest · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a committee
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chest — of your body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a line
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — to get on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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