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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: tube · rule · perch · bay · rock · cue · saw · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rule — a law
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. tube — a container
  12. rock — music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cue — a hint
  24. saw — the tool

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