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

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — a committee
  5. bass — low music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. tube — the underground
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. board — to get on
  18. ruler — for measuring

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