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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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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: foot · band · tube · firm · board · saw · press · clip

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — to get on
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. band — a ring
  6. board — a committee
  7. firm — decided
  8. press — newspapers
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. press — to push
  13. clip — to cut
  14. firm — steady
  15. tube — the underground
  16. firm — a company
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. clip — a video
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. foot — a measure
  21. tube — a container
  22. press — a publisher
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. band — a music group

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