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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rash — a series
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mate — a friend
  10. tube — a container
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rash — hasty
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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