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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. object — to protest
  4. face — part of the head
  5. tube — a container
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — to confront
  10. tube — the underground
  11. band — a music group
  12. object — an aim
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. suit — to fit
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. board — to get on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a ring

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