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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. march — music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. march — the month
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — the underground
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mug — a face
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mug — a cup
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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