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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · tube · hide · field · board · band · leaves · pass

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mine — for digging
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. board — to get on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. board — a committee
  18. field — for sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a music group
  21. tube — the underground
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. field — a subject
  24. leaves — lets stay

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