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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. board — a committee
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tube — a container
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — moving air
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lean — thin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rule — government
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fall — the season
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fall — to drop

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