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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rule — government
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kid — to tease
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kid — child
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stand — to bear
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rule — a law

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