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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
468
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: cell · bulb · hide · tube · nail · rule · object · wake

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — a thing
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wake — a trail
  17. object — to protest
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — a container
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rule — a law

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