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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rule — government
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. land — a country
  21. present — there
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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