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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. tube — a container
  4. board — a committee
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ball — a dance
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. face — to confront
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tube — the underground
  18. trunk — of a tree

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