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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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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: rush · tube · rule · mate · drill · arm · fine · object

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — all right
  8. object — an aim
  9. drill — a practice
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — government
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. object — to protest
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. object — a thing
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. arm — part of the body

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