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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — for catching
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rule — a law
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rule — government
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. net — after costs
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — the underground

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