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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a cake
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rule — a law
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — a series
  9. rule — government
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. roll — a list
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — a container
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tube — the underground

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