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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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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: cabinet · stick · board · wake · tube · key · wind · leaves

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. key — for a lock
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — to get on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — a container
  20. key — the most important part
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. key — in music

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