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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: tube · rule · chest · bay · current · bound · clip · game

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chest — of your body
  5. clip — a video
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — government
  12. chest — a box
  13. current — of water
  14. clip — to cut
  15. game — a match
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tube — the underground
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — a law
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — certain

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