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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. board — a committee
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — the underground
  6. board — to get on
  7. cap — a lid
  8. face — part of the head
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fine — all right
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — of ice
  17. tube — a container
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chair — a leader
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. key — in music

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