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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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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: bear · cell · mug · foot · chest · mate · rule · tube

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. foot — a measure
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chest — a box
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rule — government
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rule — a law
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mug — a face
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chest — of your 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