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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. board — a committee
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. cap — of ice
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cap — a hat
  9. board — to get on
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cap — a lid
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. row — to paddle
  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