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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rule — government
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rule — a law

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