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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. present — a gift
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. face — part of the head
  14. present — there
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. present — the time now
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — to get on
  24. hand — help

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