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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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mate — a partner
  3. tube — the underground
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rule — a law
  6. key — the most important part
  7. can — to be able to
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rule — government
  12. key — in music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. key — for a lock
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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