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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: rule · bay · jam · snap · tube · chest · suit · fine

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. suit — clothes
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rule — a law
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chest — of your body
  13. suit — to fit
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fine — all right
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chest — a box
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fine — high quality
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rule — government

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