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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · coach · can · rule · object · pitcher · kid · sharp

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. object — an aim
  5. kid — child
  6. object — to protest
  7. can — to be able to
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rule — government
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — a thing
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — a law
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — to recline

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