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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rule — a law
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. clip — for paper
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tube — a container
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. clip — a video
  22. branch — a division
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. root — of a word

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