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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 124 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: cabinet · board · fine · face · content · drill · bulb · stick

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — high quality
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fine — all right
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. drill — army training
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. content — happy
  22. face — part of the head
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — a practice

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