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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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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. track — a path
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. track — a song
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. track — to keep track
  15. snap — to click
  16. tube — the underground
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tube — in a tire

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