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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: shower · field · season · board · arm · bore · wake · face

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. face — to point toward
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. field — for sport
  7. shower — rain
  8. bore — to drill
  9. field — a subject
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. season — of the year
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — a trail
  15. face — to confront
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. shower — to wash
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. field — farmland

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