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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. board — to get on
  3. band — a ring
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. board — a committee
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — letters
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — a container
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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