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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 120 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: mark · snap · content · mug · wind · kid · rule · tube

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. snap — to click
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. tube — the underground
  7. content — happy
  8. mug — a face
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rule — a law
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — the amount
  18. tube — a container
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kid — child
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mug — a cup

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