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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — electric
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — government
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bound — certain
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — a law
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — a group
  24. bulb — for light

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