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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. last — finally
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. last — final
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rule — government
  13. root — of a word
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cue — a signal
  20. last — to go on
  21. fork — in a road
  22. root — the cause
  23. rule — a law
  24. cue — a hint

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