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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. drill — army training
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rule — a law
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. file — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — government

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