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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. shower — rain
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — clothes
  10. degree — from a university
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. shower — to wash
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rule — a law
  17. ground — a position
  18. kick — in football
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rule — government
  21. degree — temperature
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ground — crushed

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