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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. land — ground
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rule — a law
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. land — a country
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. swing — music
  13. land — to come down
  14. rock — a stone
  15. swing — in golf
  16. last — finally
  17. rock — music
  18. last — to go on
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — final
  21. tube — a container
  22. rule — government
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — to play on

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