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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — a hole
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rule — a law
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rule — government
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rush — hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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