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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: nail · board · stick · tube · straw · face · wind · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a committee
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. face — to confront
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. face — to point toward
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. board — to get on
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — a flat piece

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