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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — a law
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. charge — in control
  6. rest — what's left
  7. charge — a price
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — to crush
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. fall — the season
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — thin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rest — what's left
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rule — government
  23. board — to get on
  24. rest — a break

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