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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. board — to get on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chair — a leader
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. snap — to click
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — a container
  24. stock — goods

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