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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 124 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rule — government
  3. dip — to sink
  4. object — an aim
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rule — a law
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — a thing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — to protest
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tube — a container

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