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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: kick · bulb · wave · pop · race · board · face · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to point toward
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. object — an aim
  8. race — a contest
  9. kick — in football
  10. face — part of the head
  11. object — to protest
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pop — music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. face — to confront
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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