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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tube — a container
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pop — music
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. board — to get on
  22. cold — not warm
  23. rock — a stone
  24. tube — the underground

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