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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: branch · cabinet · court · bulb · board · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — for sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — part of the head
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. branch — a division
  16. court — of a king
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — of law

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