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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spring — the season
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rule — government
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — of water
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bat — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rule — a law

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