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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: board · bulb · arm · pitcher · spring · bowl · nail · face

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — to confront
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a committee
  18. spring — of water
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to point toward
  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