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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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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: club · bore · present · coach · suit · face · temple · wind

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. suit — clothes
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. present — there
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. club — a group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — to tire
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. club — for golf

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