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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rule — government
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — the underground
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tube — a container
  16. rule — a law
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — a weight
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. content — the amount

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