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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tube — a container
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rule — a law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — a trail
  15. capital — money
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rule — government
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mug — a cup
  24. capital — a city

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