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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 124 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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. board — to get on
  3. tube — a container
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. game — a match
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — the underground
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chair — a leader
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wax — to grow
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. board — a committee
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to point toward
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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