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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: board · kick · face · race · dip · bear · fan · bore

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. race — the arms race
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — to tire
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — to drill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kick — in football
  10. race — humankind
  11. board — to get on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. face — to point toward
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. race — a contest
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bear — the animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. dip — to sink

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