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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: tube · content · stem · kick · pass · rule · nail · saw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tube — a container
  15. rule — a law
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kick — in football
  19. content — happy
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. content — the amount

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