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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 116 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: race · mate · tube · kick · nail · firm · rule · board

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. tube — the underground
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — in football
  11. firm — decided
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. firm — a company
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — a container
  24. firm — steady

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