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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cold — an illness
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cold — not warm
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. foot — a measure
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. nail — for a hammer

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