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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rule — a law
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — in football
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — the underground
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — in sport
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. net — after costs
  18. drill — army training
  19. rule — government
  20. net — for catching
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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