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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 116 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 · firm · bark · can · face · rest · capital

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. capital — money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — decided
  20. face — to confront
  21. board — to get on
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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