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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
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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: mine · bore · suit · cabinet · capital · board · drill · face

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — to get on
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. suit — clothes
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. board — a committee
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. face — part of the head
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — army training
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — to fit

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