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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: stick · rule · present · tube · wind · perch

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. present — a gift
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. present — the time now
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. present — there
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tube — a container

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