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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — a law
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rule — government
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — soda
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pop — music
  19. stock — goods
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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