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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. deal — to handle
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rule — a law
  18. degree — from a university
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lean — thin

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