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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — a container
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bass — the fish
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. board — a committee
  9. rule — government
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. craft — boats
  14. board — to get on
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rule — a law
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — thin
  24. bass — low music

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