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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mate — to breed
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tube — the underground
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rule — government
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rule — a law
  17. tube — a container
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. suit — to fit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — a partner
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — clothes

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