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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. board — a committee
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. track — a path
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. board — to get on

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