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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rule — a law
  5. clip — for paper
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. clip — a video
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tube — a container
  18. drill — army training
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. drill — a practice
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. tube — in a tire

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