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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — to sink
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rule — a law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pit — in a race
  14. snap — to click
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rule — government
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bulb — of a plant

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