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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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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. shower — to wash
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — the tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tube — a container
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. shower — rain
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fan — to cool the air

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