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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rock — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rule — government
  6. firm — steady
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rule — a law
  11. spell — a short time
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. firm — a company
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. file — a tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — the underground
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — a stone
  24. file — a document

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