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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tube — the underground
  3. drill — army training
  4. tube — a container
  5. file — a document
  6. rule — a law
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — government
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bank — of a river
  14. craft — a skill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kid — to tease
  21. craft — boats
  22. file — a tool
  23. kid — child
  24. craft — a handicraft

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