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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — government
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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