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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 120 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: chip · mouse · tube · rule · saw · kid · wake · stick

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. tube — the underground
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tube — a container
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kid — child
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rule — a law
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — the tool

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