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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. key — in music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. key — the most important part
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. snap — to click
  22. board — a committee
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rush — hurry

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