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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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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: wake · mine · game · rule · tube · rash · bass · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rule — a law
  4. tube — a container
  5. rash — a series
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rule — government
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. game — a match
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mine — for digging
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bass — the fish

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