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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 120 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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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: stick · coach · board · arm · fork · face · content · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — to get on
  3. content — happy
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. tube — the underground
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. face — part of the head
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — the amount
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fork — in a road
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. face — to confront
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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