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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. face — to confront
  4. stock — shares
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — part of the head
  8. board — a committee
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — to get on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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