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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: face · can · wake · jam · mug · bulb · row · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wake — a trail
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. board — a committee
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bulb — for light
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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