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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. march — the month
  11. tear — to rip
  12. season — of the year
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tear — from crying

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