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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: saw · dip · swing · tube · suit · shower · board · chest

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — in cards
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — to wash
  17. swing — music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tube — a container
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tube — the underground
  22. swing — in golf
  23. suit — to fit
  24. tube — in a tire

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