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

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rule — a law
  14. club — for golf
  15. rule — government
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. club — a group
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — of water

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