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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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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: kick · band · tube · ruler · file · land · board · safe

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a committee
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. board — to get on
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. band — a ring
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. file — a document
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — in football
  21. tube — a container
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. safe — out of danger

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