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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mine · tube · present · rule · chair · rash · lie · nail

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — hasty
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. present — the time now
  9. rule — government
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rash — a series
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — a gift
  16. rule — a law
  17. present — there
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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