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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — to bear
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — a container
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chair — a leader
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — of a car

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