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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 124 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tube — a container
  5. staff — a stick
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — in music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — help
  10. rule — government
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rule — a law
  18. drill — army training
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. drill — a practice

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