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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rule — government
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — clothes
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — to come down
  9. file — a document
  10. rule — a law
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cell — in biology
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. land — a country
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — in cards
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — ground
  24. bulb — for light

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