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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rule — government
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a line
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. charge — in control
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — a law
  13. spell — letters
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. spell — magic

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