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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
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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: cold · ruler · mug · band · rule · tube · leaves · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rule — government
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cold — an illness
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. band — a ring
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. band — a music group
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tube — a container
  17. cold — not warm
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rule — a law
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. band — a rubber band

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