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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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. saw — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spell — letters
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. spell — a short time
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — a container
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — magic
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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