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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. toast — bread
  3. tube — the underground
  4. object — an aim
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. land — a country
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — government
  11. land — to come down
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. object — to protest
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tube — a container
  17. land — ground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. object — a thing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rule — a law
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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