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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: band · mouse · face · can · tube · prune · board · current

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. tube — a container
  4. face — part of the head
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — happening now
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. current — of water
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. face — to point toward
  17. can — to be able to
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — electric
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. face — to confront

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