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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · bore · foot · club · board · temple · face · fan

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a committee
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bore — to tire
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — for golf
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bore — to drill
  24. club — a group

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