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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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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 · present · content · bulb · board · trunk · race · cue

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — for light
  9. content — happy
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — to confront
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. race — humankind
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. present — a gift
  17. board — to get on
  18. cue — a signal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. face — part of the head
  23. present — the time now
  24. content — the amount

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