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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ground — a position
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — in music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rule — government
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tube — a container
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — a law

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