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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rule — a law
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — low music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — government
  15. season — of the year
  16. bass — the fish
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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