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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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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: snap · bore · foot · land · face · chair · club · present

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — a group
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — ground
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. land — to come down
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — to drill
  14. present — there
  15. foot — a measure
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. club — for golf
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. snap — to click
  21. chair — a leader
  22. land — a country
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chair — a professorship

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