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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rule — government
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. tube — a container

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