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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 120 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 · calf · bulb · face · stick · band · racket · staff

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — a committee
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a ring
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. face — part of the head
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to confront
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. band — a music group

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