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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — a container
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — to get on
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. object — an aim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. object — a thing
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. shower — rain
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tube — the underground
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cue — for pool

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