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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — a committee
  3. suit — to fit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — in cards
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chest — a box
  11. board — to get on
  12. chest — of your body
  13. craft — boats
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spring — the season
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lean — thin
  24. spring — of water

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