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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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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: content · tube · board · fine · cap · file · trunk · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. file — a document
  5. fine — all right
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tube — the underground
  8. board — to get on
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tube — a container
  16. cap — a lid
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. file — a 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