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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 124 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chest — a box
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rule — a law
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — of your body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — to be able to

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