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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — of water
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pop — soda
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cue — for pool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pop — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rule — a law
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rule — government
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spring — the season
  24. cell — in a prison

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