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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kid — child
  6. root — of a word
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. root — the cause
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rule — government
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rule — a law
  23. kid — to tease
  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