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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: fork · season · leaves · bore · current · face · coach · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. face — to point toward
  4. current — happening now
  5. season — of the year
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. current — electric
  10. season — in sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bore — to drill
  14. face — to confront
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — of water
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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