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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — to eat
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rule — a law
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — steady
  8. chip — for betting
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ground — crushed
  11. firm — decided
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ground — the earth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. firm — a company
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. ground — a position
  24. clip — to cut

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