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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: lean · tube · bore · board · straw · pitch · pass · lie

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tube — a container
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. board — to get on
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. board — a committee
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — thin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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