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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — government
  10. present — there
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — the time now
  16. rule — a law
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. swing — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — a gift
  24. arm — a part of something

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