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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rule — government
  6. kick — in football
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rule — a law
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. clip — a video
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lean — thin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — for paper

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