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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. object — a thing
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — a trace
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rule — government
  12. object — an aim
  13. mate — a friend
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rule — a law
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pound — a weight
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — to protest

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