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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: shower · face · toast · board · bore · rush · mine · key

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. shower — rain
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mine — for digging
  8. shower — to wash
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rush — hurry
  13. board — a committee
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bore — to tire
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. toast — bread
  20. key — for a lock
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. face — to point toward
  24. key — in music

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