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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tube — the underground
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — a song
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. hide — animal skin

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