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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rule — government
  6. plane — a tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pound — a weight
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wound — an injury
  14. field — for sport
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — a law
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. pound — to hit hard

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