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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wind — moving air
  5. club — for golf
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ground — the earth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ground — a position
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — government
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rule — a law
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — to rule out

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