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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: cell · board · face · race · branch · craft · bulb · swing

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. swing — in golf
  3. race — humankind
  4. board — a committee
  5. race — a contest
  6. board — to get on
  7. face — to confront
  8. swing — music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. craft — boats
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. board — a flat piece

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