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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — thin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — to fit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. degree — from a university
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — for golf
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. suit — in cards
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. degree — an amount
  19. club — a group
  20. rule — government
  21. suit — clothes
  22. degree — temperature
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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