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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: race · board · fine · face · coach · plane · leaves · bulb

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. board — a committee
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. face — to point toward
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. race — humankind
  24. coach — a trainer

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