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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bank — of a river
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — government
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. leaves — to go away

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