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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. capital — money
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. squash — to crush
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rule — government
  14. current — happening now
  15. rule — a law
  16. capital — a city
  17. current — electric
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. mine — for digging
  21. current — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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