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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: board · tube · last · rule · saw · suit · rush · degree

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. suit — to fit
  5. board — to get on
  6. last — final
  7. board — a committee
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. suit — clothes
  11. saw — the tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tube — a container
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rule — a law
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tube — the underground
  24. last — finally

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