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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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468
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: foot · tube · swing · mine · rule · lean · dip · craft

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mine — for digging
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — a container
  5. lean — to bend
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lean — thin
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. swing — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. swing — in golf
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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