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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. club — for dancing
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tube — the underground
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — a group
  11. dip — to sink
  12. club — for golf
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — a container
  15. rule — a law
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. row — a line
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wind — moving air

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