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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: last · bore · board · temple · charge · bowl · land · face

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — final
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. land — ground
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. charge — in control
  10. last — to go on
  11. face — to confront
  12. charge — a price
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. board — a committee
  15. last — finally
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. land — a country
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bore — to tire
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — to come down
  24. bowl — a football final

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