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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. spring — of water
  9. lean — thin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rule — a law
  15. spring — the season
  16. perch — the fish
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rule — government
  22. tube — a container
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. lean — to bend

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