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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hand — in cards
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. tube — a container
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rule — government
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. club — a group
  19. rule — a law
  20. chest — a box
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hand — part of the body

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