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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. tube — the underground
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. board — to get on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. board — a committee
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tube — a container
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — in music
  24. fork — a garden tool

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