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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: jam · band · object · board · tube · present · lie · wax

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. present — a gift
  6. tube — a container
  7. object — a thing
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. lie — to recline
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a music group
  15. object — to protest
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. object — an aim
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. tube — the underground

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