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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
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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: rule · staff · wound · tube · spell · sharp · spring · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — a law
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — clever
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — government
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spell — magic
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spring — the season
  16. can — to be able to
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wound — an injury
  19. spring — a coil
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spring — of water
  23. staff — employees
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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