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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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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: nail · rule · hide · wake · spell · kid · deal · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rule — a law
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — government
  16. spell — magic
  17. kid — child
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. deal — an agreement

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