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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: bulb · ground · deal · chip · kick · board · hide · face

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — to point toward
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kick — in football
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — to confront
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. board — a committee

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