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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. band — a music group
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. band — a ring
  9. tube — a container
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spell — letters
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spell — magic
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. drill — the tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tube — the underground
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — army training
  22. stand — to bear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — a flat piece

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