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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 116 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: hide · club · sharp · lean · band · bowl · tube · wave

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lean — to bend
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. tube — a container
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — thin
  16. club — a group
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. club — for golf
  22. band — a ring
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. band — a music group

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