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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rule — a law
  5. spring — of water
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rule — government
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. current — happening now
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — the season
  14. current — electric
  15. cue — a signal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. spring — a coil
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — of water
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — help

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