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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: key · trunk · dip · ruler · tube · stick · board · roll

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — to get on
  3. tube — the underground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — in music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a cake
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. roll — a list
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. board — a committee
  24. tube — a container

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