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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rule — a law
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rule — government
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. plane — a tool

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