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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: fork · cabinet · bore · charge · snap · face · bear · drill

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. charge — a price
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. drill — army training
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — a practice
  15. charge — electricity
  16. snap — to click
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. charge — in control
  24. face — to point toward

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