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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.

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: board · band · drill · face · present · fan · plane · kick

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. plane — a tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a ring
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — to confront
  16. band — a music group
  17. drill — army training
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kick — in football
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. board — a committee

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