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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: saw · season · rule · tube · scale · chest · rush · spring

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — in sport
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chest — a box
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spring — of water
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rule — a law
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spring — a coil
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tube — a container
  22. spring — the season
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. scale — in music

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