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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.

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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: craft · tube · fine · arm · mate · stick · rule · pass

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — boats
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rule — a law
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mate — a partner
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fine — all right
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rule — government
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. craft — a skill

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