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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: current · fan · face · present · bore · arm · game · hand

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — help
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. current — of water
  11. bore — to tire
  12. current — happening now
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. present — a gift
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. game — a match
  23. present — there
  24. face — part of the head

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