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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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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: face · land · fine · bore · toast · rock · bark · board

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bark — to shout
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. board — a committee
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — to drill
  9. land — ground
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fine — high quality
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. board — to get on
  16. fine — all right
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. land — to come down
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bore — to tire

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