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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: present · tube · wave · file · hide · board · roll · rash

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. file — a tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. file — a document
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rash — hasty
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. present — the time now
  11. file — a line of people
  12. present — there
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — a series
  17. present — a gift
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. board — a committee
  23. tube — a container
  24. roll — a list

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