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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. field — farmland
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — a division
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — to paddle
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. field — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. board — to get on
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. face — to confront
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pass — a permit

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