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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: bay · bank · sharp · tube · bass · face · board · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. roll — a cake
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bass — low music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — a container
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — to confront
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bass — the instrument

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