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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — electricity
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rule — a law
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — in control
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rest — a break
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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