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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fall — to drop
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rule — a law
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. snap — to click
  15. board — a committee
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — to get on
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — government
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — a flat piece

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