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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mate — to breed
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rule — government
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — a friend
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wound — an injury
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — a law
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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