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

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. face — part of the head
  7. perch — the fish
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. board — to get on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — in a race
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — a division
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — help

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