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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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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: arm · nail · pop · leaves · tube · kid · board · rest

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pop — music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pop — soda
  11. rest — a break
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — the underground
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. tube — a container
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — child
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. kid — to tease

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