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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: bore · court · drill · toast · face · cabinet · fan · ground

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. toast — bread
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. court — of law
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ground — the earth
  15. court — of a king
  16. bore — to drill
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. face — part of the head
  20. court — for sport
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. face — to confront

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