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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — a division
  6. rule — a law
  7. tear — to rip
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tube — a container
  11. spell — magic
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spell — letters
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rule — government
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — the tool

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