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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: rush · face · stem · suit · capital · board · bulb · arm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — to come from
  3. suit — clothes
  4. face — part of the head
  5. capital — a city
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — a committee
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — money
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — to point toward
  21. board — to get on
  22. suit — to fit
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rush — a thrill

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