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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chest · calf · saw · jam · drill · rule · object

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chest — of your body
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chest — a box
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. drill — army training
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — government
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. object — a thing
  21. tube — a container
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. calf — of the leg

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