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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · pound · temple · tube · mark · cap · snap · plane

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cap — of ice
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tube — a container
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to click
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. plane — a tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cap — a hat
  24. plane — an aircraft

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