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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 · season · foot · fine · face · bulb · mate · calf

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. fine — all right
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — of the leg

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