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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: chest · ruler · tube · pass · board · bass · race · wind

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. race — a contest
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. race — humankind
  18. board — to get on
  19. chest — a box
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to succeed

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