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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · cell · tube · kick · rock · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cell — in biology
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. cell — a phone
  8. kick — in football
  9. rule — government
  10. rock — music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rule — a law
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cell — in a prison

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