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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tube — a container
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cap — of ice
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cap — a lid
  24. spell — a short time

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