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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tube — a container
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rule — government
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chest — a box
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. race — humankind
  15. present — a gift
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rule — a law
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. present — there
  24. chest — of your body

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