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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rock — music
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. board — to get on
  12. rock — a stone
  13. court — for sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. court — of law
  19. board — a committee
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. court — of a king
  24. wave — with your hand

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