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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rule — a law
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. tube — a container
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rule — government
  17. lean — thin
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rock — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rest — a break

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