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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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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: wound · fan · rule · temple · pass · tube · foot · straw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wound — an injury
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rule — a law
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rule — government
  16. pass — a permit
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tube — a container
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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