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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · board · face · firm · capital · trunk

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. face — part of the head
  4. board — to get on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. capital — money
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. capital — a city
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. firm — decided
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. board — a committee

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