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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 116 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: wave · tube · plane · sharp · band · board · present · swing

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. board — to get on
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tube — the underground
  9. present — a gift
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. swing — in golf
  15. plane — a tool
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. swing — music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. present — there
  24. board — a committee

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