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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: jam · spell · rule · suit · bay · mine · tube · wound

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spell — letters
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — magic
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rule — a law
  12. tube — a container
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rule — government
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. suit — in cards
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bay — a horse colour

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