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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. band — a ring
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. board — to get on
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. band — a music group
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. craft — boats

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