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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pop — soda
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rule — government
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rule — a law
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tube — a container
  17. pass — a permit
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tube — the underground
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pop — music

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