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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rule — government
  4. spring — of water
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. track — a path
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rule — a law
  14. spring — a coil
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — a measure
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — in a tire

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