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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rest — a break
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. root — the cause
  12. mate — to breed
  13. band — a music group
  14. mate — a friend
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. root — of a word
  17. tube — a container
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. root — of a plant
  21. board — to get on
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rest — what's left

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