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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.

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: rule · press · cabinet · hide · game · foot · tube · arm

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — a law
  5. game — a match
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — wild animals
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rule — government
  19. press — to push
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tube — a container
  23. press — a publisher
  24. arm — part of the body

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