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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 120 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: wind · can · tube · sharp · craft · pitcher · lie · board

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. can — to be able to
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — clever
  14. tube — the underground
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. craft — boats
  21. board — a committee
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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