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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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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: tube · kick · mine · rest · stick · bear · rule · fan

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rule — government
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rule — a law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — in football
  23. tube — a container
  24. fan — to cool the air

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