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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — a law
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — government
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — thin
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lean — to rest against

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