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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: perch · wave · rule · board · tube · bat · hand · track

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. board — to get on
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rule — government
  14. tube — a container
  15. rule — a law
  16. board — a committee
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a song
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hand — help
  24. rule — to rule out

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