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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: wake · tube · safe · roll · pound · board · rest · fall

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wake — a trail
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — a container
  6. roll — a list
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rest — a break
  16. board — to get on
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fall — the season

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