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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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 — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bound — obliged
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — to go on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. last — final
  11. capital — a city
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. capital — money
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rule — a law
  22. bound — certain
  23. last — finally
  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