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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. face — to point toward
  11. land — a country
  12. board — to get on
  13. land — ground
  14. court — for sport
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — for light

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