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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rule — a law
  4. club — for golf
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — in sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. club — a group
  11. bore — to drill
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. season — of the year
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — a container
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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