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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 120 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: board · bark · coach · leaves · tube · suit · mark · land

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. suit — clothes
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. board — a committee
  10. tube — a container
  11. suit — to fit
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. land — to come down
  16. suit — in cards
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. bark — to shout
  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