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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: stick · cap · bass · tube · wound · board · season · snap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. board — a committee
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. snap — to click
  12. bass — low music
  13. tube — a container
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cap — a hat
  18. season — of the year
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — to get on
  24. wound — an injury

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