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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: lie · board · wind · mark · toast · tube · land · calf

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. board — to get on
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. land — to come down
  17. toast — bread
  18. wind — moving air
  19. tube — a container
  20. land — a country
  21. tube — the underground
  22. land — ground
  23. board — a committee
  24. toast — the most admired

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