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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: fall · rule · mate · tube · toast · bear · kick · pass

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — the season
  8. toast — bread
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rule — government
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rule — a law
  24. tube — in a tire

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