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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — in football
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wake — a trail
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. band — a ring
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. band — a music group
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. band — a rubber band

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