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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. can — to be able to
  3. season — in sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rule — government
  8. march — music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — a law
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — of the year
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. march — the month
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — to tire

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