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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rule — government
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lean — to bend
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lean — thin
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. branch — a division
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — of a tree

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