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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. band — a ring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — in sport
  14. board — to get on
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kick — in football
  18. board — a committee
  19. content — the amount
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tube — a container
  23. season — of the year
  24. content — happy

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