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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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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 · tube · pitcher · leaves · rush · saw · snap · stand

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rule — a law
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rule — government
  16. snap — to click
  17. rush — hurry
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stand — to bear
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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