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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — of water
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cue — a hint
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — government
  10. kick — in football
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spring — the season
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rule — a law
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cue — for pool
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. spring — a coil
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. march — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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