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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.

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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: fan · bore · board · face · calf · file · ground · bank

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. file — a tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. board — to get on
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ground — crushed

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