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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tube — a container
  3. rule — government
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — finally
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. last — to go on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chest — a box
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rule — a law
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. suit — to fit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — final

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