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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — a law
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. swing — in golf
  11. deal — to handle
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. swing — to play on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — temperature
  19. branch — a division
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — government

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