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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 120 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rule — government
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. craft — boats
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a skill
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kid — to tease
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — a law
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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