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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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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: rush · arm · spell · sharp · tube · ground · rule · nail

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rule — government
  5. ground — the earth
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spell — magic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spell — a short time
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — a law
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — a position
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tube — a container
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. sharp — clever

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