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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: spell · land · bowl · last · face · cabinet · bore · sharp

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — to go on
  4. land — to come down
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. land — a country
  13. spell — magic
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. land — ground
  16. last — finally
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. face — part of the head
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — letters
  24. bowl — a football final

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