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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — a container
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — in control
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. rule — government
  9. charge — a price
  10. game — a match
  11. lie — to recline
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — a law
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. tube — in a tire

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