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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
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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: firm · lean · board · trunk · dip · bay · date · tube

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. tube — a container
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lean — thin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — to bend
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — to get on
  17. firm — steady
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. board — a committee
  24. tube — in a tire

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