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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. season — in sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. content — happy
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. season — of the year
  21. vault — a safe
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. board — to get on
  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