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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pit — a hole
  9. game — a match
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rule — government
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — happening now
  24. pit — in a race

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