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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: board · lean · kid · mark · chip · wake · drill · tube

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tube — the underground
  7. board — to get on
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mark — a grade
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — army training
  20. kid — child
  21. lean — thin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chip — to eat

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