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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: tube · kick · rule · mark · spring · safe · degree · rash

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kick — in football
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rash — a series
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — the season
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rule — government
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spring — of water

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