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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. tube — a container
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. board — a committee
  18. clip — for paper
  19. tube — the underground
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a hint

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