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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: bore · scale · board · suit · clip · face · bound · bear

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. scale — size or range
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bear — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bound — certain
  13. bore — to drill
  14. clip — for paper
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bore — to tire
  17. suit — to fit
  18. face — part of the head
  19. suit — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. scale — in music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. clip — a video
  24. bound — tied together

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