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

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. current — electric
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. current — happening now
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — a container
  14. bark — to shout
  15. kick — in football
  16. rule — a law
  17. track — a song
  18. rule — government
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. track — to keep track

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