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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — a path
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. track — a song
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. can — to be able to
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — in football
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. net — after costs
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stand — to bear

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