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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — boats
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rule — a law
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — gave birth

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