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

Word bank: craft · rest · tube · foot · leaves · rule · racket · straw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rule — government
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. tube — a container
  7. craft — boats
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rest — a break
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rule — a law
  24. straw — a straw man

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