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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lean — thin
  7. rule — government
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mug — a cup
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rule — a law
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. shower — rain
  17. mug — a face
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. can — a tin

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