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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rush — hurry
  7. capital — money
  8. present — there
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — a stone
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — a container
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. capital — a city
  20. rock — music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — the time now
  24. board — a committee

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