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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rule — government
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bore — to tire
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. rule — a law
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. tube — a container
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pitch — completely
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — to drill
  24. sharp — exactly

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