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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.

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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 · wind · tube · face · dip · vault · cabinet · cap

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — part of the head
  10. board — to get on
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — to confront
  13. cap — of ice
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cap — a hat
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — a lid
  24. dip — to dunk

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