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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: lean · hide · board · band · wind · pound · bore · tube

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — to get on
  3. band — a ring
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lean — thin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wind — moving air
  9. band — a music group
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. board — a committee
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pound — for dogs

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