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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — government
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. net — in sport
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mate — to breed
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kick — in football
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. net — after costs
  16. mate — a friend
  17. track — a song
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — a law
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a path
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. net — for catching
  24. mate — a partner

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