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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 116 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rash — a series
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — government
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rule — a law
  15. fine — high quality
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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