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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lie · straw · tube · craft · board · saw · root

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. board — to get on
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lie — to recline
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. craft — boats
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a music group
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. band — a ring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a committee
  19. tube — the underground
  20. root — the cause
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tube — a container
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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