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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: fall · kid · ruler · bulb · hand · board · foot · face

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — part of the head
  6. hand — help
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hand — in cards
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. face — to confront
  18. fall — the season
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. kid — child
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — to drop

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