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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: rule · nail · tube · game · deal · clip · bear · charge

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. clip — a video
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. game — wild animals
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. clip — for paper
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. clip — to cut
  18. charge — in control
  19. rule — government
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — a container
  23. charge — a price
  24. game — a match

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