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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: roll · lean · board · ruler · bowl · bulb · field · face

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. field — a subject
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. field — for sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lean — thin
  18. face — to confront
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — to get on
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — part of the head

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