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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 116 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: face · cap · court · bore · bay · cell · fan · present

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — for sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. court — of law
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. present — the time now
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. present — a gift
  13. face — to confront
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cap — of ice
  16. court — of a king
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — there
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — part of the head

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