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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fall — the season
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fall — to drop
  8. snap — to click
  9. can — a tin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rule — a law
  16. pit — a hole
  17. craft — boats
  18. rule — government
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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