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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pop — to visit
  13. net — in sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pop — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — government
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. can — a tin
  23. cold — not warm
  24. stem — to come from

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