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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: tube · mouse · board · nail · mate · stick · chest · craft

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — to breed
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — a partner
  16. craft — a skill
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — to get on
  19. craft — boats
  20. chest — a box
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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