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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tube — a container
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to click
  21. board — to get on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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