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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rule — a law
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — government
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — to be able to
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — the season
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. scale — in music
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bore — to drill

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